German sportswear brand Puma is using this year's Olympic Games and its partnership with sprint champions Jamaica to focus on speed as it jostles with Adidas and Nike to carve out space in an increasingly competitive running and lifestyle market.
Puma CEO Arne Freundt aims to boost sales of "performance" products like running shoes and soccer cleats, and is revamping Puma's "Forever Faster" message in its first brand campaign in a decade on Wednesday in Paris, host of this year's Games.
As Puma tries to win over more everyday and serious runners, its sponsorship of Jamaica's Olympic team and some of the world's best sprinters like Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah helps to associate the brand with speed, said Geoff Lowery, analyst at Redburn in London.